Hundred of thousands of mountain lovers come from far and wide to experience the rush of speeding down a snow-covered hill or the tranquillity of a peaceful mountain walk.

Unless they reside in the ski resort of choice they need to travel to get there be it by plane, train or automobile.

With the introduction of budget airlines (not so budget these days) it has made it very easy and convenient to travel. However, these same airlines are also an ecological disaster with their contribution to global warming reeking havoc on the beautiful but delicate natural environment we so love.

For the past 13 years I have spent the winter months in Chamonix, France and have seen with my own eyes how breathtaking glaciers have receded dramatically. Every time I return to the valley my heart sinks when I see how these once-massive ice fields are shrinking further and further from our grasp.

There’s no turning back as the damage is well underway and cannot be undone. What we must do, however, is try our best to slow down this sad effect.

Mountain Rideshare is an idea born of my own desire to get to the mountains as efficiently as possible while creating the least amount of irreversible damage on the mountains on which I so depend for my own peace of mind and well-being.

Why use Mountain Rideshare?

Over the winter months I would watch the weather religiously. With the first sight of a storm that might bring significant snowfall I would start the long, complicated process of trying to find space in a vehicle that was driving to the Alps.

With this thought I would trawl the web and look at UK-based forums and websites to see if there were any leads that might get me to the snow in time to get the goods. This was never a successful search.

On many occasions I would call Stuart Brass of Soulsports to see if he knew of anybody that might be driving and would contact anyone that he mentioned. For those with space I’d readily make a contribution towards petrol, motorway and ferry tolls.

I was prepared to carpool with anyone going vaguely close to Chamonix. Even after jumping on a train from wherever I was dropped off it was still more cost effective for me to travel this way rather than a carbon-belching, short-haul flight.

There were a few very positive implications of getting to my destination by sharing a ride and joining a vehicle that was already travelling to the Alps:

More affordable for me

More affordable for the people with whom I travelled

I made new friends

I got to Chamonix in time to ride the fresh snow

Perhaps most importantly, it was the most environmentally friendly method of getting to the mountains.

By happily avoiding the demeaning, sheep-herding mentality of the airlines I not only reduced my own carbon footprint but that of the people with whom I was travelling as well.

Clearly for those doing the driving and hoping for the same efficiencies and karma points of carpooling, the idea works equally well. Carpooling is a win-win solution for my new friends, the mountains, and me.

Mountain Rideshare is the one-stop website that brings riders and drivers together making financial sense for riders and drivers and saving the planet in the process. Check out www.MountainRideShare.com to learn more.